Careless Driving Solicitors

Why do I need a careless driving solicitor?

If you have been charged with or are being investigated for Careless Driving this is one of the areas where we would say it is essential to get expert legal advice with a specialist careless driving solicitor as soon as possible.

You will want advice on whether you should plead guilty, and whether there are any defences available to you. Remember that if you have 12 points on your licence within three years then the Court must disqualify you.

For many people it is essential that they are able to drive, either for their job or for family reasons. Even if you have no points at the moment, if the Court impose the maximum 9 points then if you commit any speeding, red light or other minor offence within the next three years you will be disqualified.

It is therefore essential that you get some advice from a careless driving solicitor to keep the points to a minimum.

What can Forrest Williams do for me?

You will get no-nonsense advice from us. We do not advise you to plead not guilty unless we are confident that you have a defence. If we think that the Court will probably find you guilty then we will tell you this.

We do not advise defending cases on principle. Principles are costly and we want to make sure that you keep your licence. It is much harder to ask for leniency from the Court if you have pleaded not guilty and they find you guilty. If, however, we believe that you have a defence you can be sure we will do everything we can to ensure the Court finds you not guilty.

We will fight your case with vigour and leave no stone unturned. We just believe you need to choose your fight carefully and do not recommend fighting lost causes. We can represent you in Court, either to defend the case or simply to present it in the best light possible for you.

If you want to plead guilty by post, and the Court allow it then we can help you prepare what is called a letter of mitigation. This is a letter sent to the Court explaining the circumstances and putting your point of view in such a way to ensure maximum credit and leniency from the Court.

As dedicated careless driving solicitors, we have years of experience and know how to present a case in writing that will maximise the chance of the Court being lenient. We are a nationwide, award winning firm. We are recommended by the prestigious Worldwide Legal 500 as leading solicitors in this area.

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What is the definition of careless driving?

Careless driving is legally defined as:

“allowing your standard of driving to fall below that of a prudent motorist”

This is a very common offence before the Courts but there is no strict definition of what amounts to careless driving.

Basically, the Court will consider whether your driving was up to the normal expected standard of a reasonable driver. This is why it is important that you are represented by a careless driving solicitor in order to persuade the court that your driving was not careless in order to avoid any points or a ban.

It may be that you were not to blame and in fact the other motorist was to blame. We are able to put this on your behalf.

Careless and dangerous driving: what’s the difference?

There are a number of ways that the prosecution may argue that your driving was careless. If an accident takes place, then very often at least one of the drivers will be prosecuted for careless driving.

If there is only one vehicle involved in the accident then it is likely that the driver of that vehicle will be prosecuted, unless he or she can show that there was a mechanical defect of which they weren’t and couldn’t have been aware. There are lots of examples of careless driving and every case is different.

We often have clients tell us after Court that they thought they would be let off because they had read about someone else doing the same thing and being let off. This is why it is important to seek expert legal advice as soon as possible.

Every case is different and it is vital that you get advice from a specialist careless driving solicitor to present your case in the best light.

What is the worst that can happen?

You could be disqualified from driving. The Court can disqualify you from driving if they find you guilty of careless driving even if it is your first offence. The Court can also fine you up to £2,500 and impose from 3 to 9 penalty points.

Meet the Team – Tracy

If you are being investigated for careless driving it can often make a difference if you are represented at this stage, we frequently make representations to the police on behalf of our clients that avoid them being charged.

This will avoid the need to go to court and will reduce costs and stress. Don’t leave it until you are charged, we can investigate the matter and present a powerful case to avoid you being charged.